The jump from GCSE's to A levels

Before I start I just want you to know that my advice skills are limited and sometimes I may say things that are hypocritical BUT ANYWAY let’s get started.

Before I started College/Sixth form I genuinely believed that people were joking when they said that jump from GCSE's to A levels was huge, so me being my lazy self I attempted to continue with my routine of doing homework given, in school, last minute whilst frantically searching for the handout my English teacher gave me last week. That method of survival lasted less than 3 days until I realised that I was getting about 5 hours of homework each day and that truly was a slap in the face.

I think it’s safe to say I was (am) extremely unorganised and I felt like I was the only one. Except, trust me whether you’re like me or not I can tell you this for a fact that you and your peers are all in the same boat when it comes to organising your work load. I eventually bought a folder for each subject and filled them in with topic dividers and with that I felt as if a burden had been lifted off my shoulders because that way, I wouldn't have sheets of paper flying everywhere. One important thing I learnt later on is that almost every hand out is useful even though it might not seem like this at first, so make sure you don’t stash them at the bottom of your bag, BAD idea.

So far I have probably made my first year at Sixth form/college seem very scary, which it was but honestly, that was only the work aspect of it. In sixth form my old friends remained which was a relief. However, college is completely different experience. I had to travel for an hour at a time and I barely knew anyone there. Nothing has changed really, I still barely know anyone there but hey, on the plus side I had a fantastic teacher which is solely why I'm going back this year (and because I didn’t drop philosophy).

In short, in order to survive AS all you need to be is 1. organised (homework, folders etc) and 2. motivated; I personally found it really hard to be motivated especially with how much homework I was given. Nevertheless, that is just an excuse and it is important that you get yourself motivated, and quickly too.

Finally, I want to wish those who are starting a new chapter this year, good luck in whatever you are doing and to make the most of it. I hope you achieve everything you want!

AS Level results day 2014

Results day. One of the most daunting times of the year and quite frankly I am the worst person to deal with stress. Last year’s G.C.S.E results day is a perfect example; I started tearing up (I DIDN'T CRY) before I even knew my results OH AND I made my friend open my envelope for me. Yeaah, thank God that’s over.

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Back to the point, I'm proud to say that this year wasn't as hectic as last year, I surprisingly managed to keep myself calm. I said to myself: ‘whatever happens happens, you can’t change your results'. YUP those were my amazing words of wisdom. But in actuality if it wasn't for my friends that I had around me the stress would have doubled (its always nice to have a comforting person around you).

SO, what did I get? B in Psychology, C in Philosophy, C in History and to top that off a D in English lit. Ironically, I was actually predicted a D in is psychology (my least favourite subject) and a B for English lit (my favourite subject) so I was really very upset to  find out that I wasn't going to be continuing English Lit at A2. You never know though I just might start loving psychology.

I guess we don’t always get what we want and I am learning to cope with that by trying to change my preferences around a little which is something that we all have to do once in a while even if it might seem hard at first. I saw a lot of people that were disappointed with their grades yesterday and it made me realise that it is important to choose the right subjects for your individual abilities. Do I think I chose the right subjects? yes, but I only eventually realised  this through trial and error. And it may not seem like this through my results, but as I said we all have our own individual abilities.

Lastly I just want to ask, is anyone else’s school like this? we were put us into groups of Green and Red. Green meant you’re staying and Red meant you have to leave. I personally think that was a cruel move to make BUT HEY that’s my school and life goes on.

Quote of the day: "Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."

My growing admiration for Philosophy

“If you were to be a real seeker about truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” – Rene Descartes

At the start of my academic year I absolutely abhorred learning Philosophy. Now, I know that is a harsh word to use but, unfortunately I couldn't see past the old men with beards discussing whether the existence of god is necessary or the ethics behind a certain situation. It is only recently that I have found an admiration for the subject. I feel as if it has the capability to give me a perspective on things that I would have never thought of, which is something that I feel I need once in a while. Something that can challenge my beliefs as well as help me to develop as a person and learn to think logically. This is the subject that gave me the biggest confidence boost due to the extensive debating skills that are required (which I still haven’t completely acquired yet. Baby steps, baby steps) nevertheless, the fact that I am being put out of my comfort zone is something I appreciate.

Yes, as a Muslim I feel that I struggled to maintain some of my beliefs due to philosophers such Epicurus and J.L Mackie who suggested the 'problem of evil' and the 'inconsistent triad'. They argued that if god is traditionally omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnibenevolent (all good) then how can it be possible that he exists if there is evil in the world? When I first heard this I thought it was a solid argument. 

However, the main reason to why I enjoy Philosophy is because there is not always a definitive answer. For example, if I were to produce a rebuttal I could say that without evil in the world we humans would not have the potential to have emotions such as compassion and empathy. To back up this point it would also be very useful to use a quote- “Allah does not place burden to a soul greater than it can bear” [Surah Al-Baqarah [2:286]]. Then again, if I were to offer a counter argument I could question: what have the people who are experiencing famine or disease done to deserve such great hardship?  And for this I'm going to let you make your own mind up.

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In short, philosophy is a beautiful and beneficial subject (you just need to give it a chance). Also, I would like to add that it is not a bad thing to question your beliefs; as long as you know where both your head and heart lie. It is absolutely normal.

Thank you for reading :)

Friendship

Take example from our friendship, guys..

“A friend cannot be considered as friends until he is tested in three occasions; in time of need, behind your back and until after your death”- Imam Ali (AS)

As I get older I feel that some friendships tend to fade away and most of the time it is the fault of both persons. Reasons for this may include: one person doesn't make as much effort as before and you’re stubborn (like me) so you return the favour, or you grow out of them (and/or vice versa). I personally believe that having a minimal amount of friends lessens the 'drama' that us females just cannot stay away from.

Word of warning though, if you are my age or younger as awful as it sounds, you will probably experience a falling out with a friend and they may show you a side to their personality that you didn't even know existed. If you have, or are experiencing this currently I would advise you to remain calm and talk things over to whoever it may be because friendship is a beautiful thing and to let something petty ruin it is a complete shame. despite this, at the end of the day it is up to both of you (or however many there are) to sort things out. Eventually your problems may blow over BUT you may never talk to that individual again and I think that this can have silver lining in that you will have more time to engage with people who care about you as much as you care about them.

It may be that you feel that your friend is suddenly acting strangely or they are pushing you away. Just understand that if  you know that you haven't done anything  wrong there is no use in blaming yourself and it may seem unfair at first but you will get through it quite quickly as unnecessary negativity will cause you unnecessary stress. One thing that I have learnt, is that life is temporary and it helps to stay away from those who make you feel lesser than them.

On a lighter note, I would advise you to cherish your friends because often times we forget how much they mean to us and the main thing is to have FUN. As cliché as it sounds friends who laugh together really do stay together and I learnt that only recently. I hope to carry that philosophy with me for the rest of my life.

The Importance of manners: London VS Toronto

Now, be honest how many of you actually say ‘thank you’ to the bus driver when you've reached your stop? I for one am undeniably guilty of being that person that doesn't. Nonetheless, I've decided that this is one thing I'm going to try and change about myself. Yes! I completely understand that you’re busy on a Monday morning and quite frankly you couldn't give a toss on whether you say thank you or not BUT as a society I believe that these little acts of kindness could definitely make someone’s day or even better, Yours.

The CN Tower and the view from inside

This topic sprung to mind on my first day out in Toronto with my aunt (HI SARA), as I witnessed almost everyone saying “Thank you” to the bus driver whilst getting off, so I thought to myself “why doesn't this happen in London?". The city that is renowned for being one of class and etiquette but only a minority say thank you?!

Don’t get me wrong, my aim is not to scrutinise you or make you feel terrible, in fact it is the complete opposite. I would love to see you embrace the beautiful world around you (even if you do live in a village like me) and most certainly pay more attention to the feelings of others which I find our busy world is extremely hard to do!

On the whole, my experience in Canada was very enjoyable (especially because of my family) as I got to embrace a new culture and surrounding. In comparison to England it is HUUGEE and I found myself astounded at how busy “down town” or the city centre got at night (because as you know stores close at around 7pm in London).

My aunt and I drinking some
     Timmies iced coffee (THE BEST)

My final request is that you commit an act of kindness, whether it is today or tomorrow and it can be anything from kissing your mum OR dare I say it, saying thank you to your next bus driver!

Thank YOU for reading my blog and I hope you’ll be staying for my future posts. BYEE!

A small insight to my life

Born in London and originally Iraqi, it is hard to adapt to both cultures and languages but somehow I manage (nevertheless, I do tend to panic when I am FORCED to speak Arabic). BUT that's just my background! I hope to open up and share a lot more about myself as well as the world around me and the things I witness in daily life that fascinate me.

Quick (not really) disclaimer: I am a makeup addict. Ever since I was younger my parents forbade me from wearing any (still love you both!) and my theory is that when you deprive a child of something, they end up wanting it ('it' being anything) more, and that was exactly me. To be honest they are still not too keen on my makeup loving but I do manage to get away with it (at times). 

Anyhoo, I am currently a student completing my A levels at Whitmore sixth form and Stanmore college. The jump from GCSE's to A levels was daunting, to say the least (but we'll come back to that later on). And if you're wondering, the AS subjects I chose are Psychology, Philosophy, History, and English Lit. 

All in all, my life at the moment is pretty ordinary but I just like to add a little bit of colour sometimes and make it seem flowery even when it really isn't!